Heritage-Rich Experiences Across the USA

At heritage sites across the country, visitors can get a firsthand look at the colorful threads that make up the nation’s cultural tapestry. Visit museums, monuments and historic sites to learn stories that will ignite your imagination, see history come to life and discover the beautiful diversity of the American experience.

Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska

The largest U.S. state, Alaska is home to more than 200 Indigenous tribal nations, each with their own distinct art, language and history. Founded in 1999, the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage is the premier institution for honoring and preserving these living traditions. Join a guided tour of the center’s artifacts and art galleries, take part in Alaska Native games, be moved by traditional dance performances and sample Indigenous foods.

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in Coastal South Carolina

Descendents of enslaved people from West and Central Africa, the Gullah Geechee people have had a profound impact on the art, cuisine and culture of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Visit the museums, heritage sites and cultural centers along the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor to learn about Gullah history, music and basket weaving. The Gullah-Geechee Cultural Visitors’ Center on St. Helena Island, the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island and Gullah Heritage Society tours on Daufuskie Island are not to be missed.

La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Colonial-era military fortifications are preserved in the 30-hectare San Juan National Historic Site, a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes Puerto Rico’s famous Castillo San Felipe del Morro citadel and several other landmarks. Explore El Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal on your own, or take advantage of ranger-guided programs and audiovisual presentations. Nearby, join a tour of La Fortaleza, the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.

Bishop Museum and ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawai’i

The only royal residence in the USA, Oahu‘s ʻIolani Palace served until 1893 as the home of Hawaiʻi’s last two monarchs. Today it has been meticulously restored, standing as an elegant tribute to Hawaiian independence. Take a docent-led or self-guided tour, then explore the galleries of the Bishop Museum for more insight into Hawaiian natural and cultural history. Be sure to see shows in the planetarium and view the world’s largest collection of Polynesian artifacts.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site near Collinsville, Illinois

From the years 700 to 1400, this area just east of current-day St. Louis, Missouri, was a thriving urban center. Indigenous Mississippians who lived here built a variety of structures – from homes for everyday living to monumental public works – that have maintained their grandeur over the centuries. The site offers outdoor guided and self-guided tours. Note that the interpretive center and gift shop are closed for most of 2025.

Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado

The exceptional archaeological sites of Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park are among the best preserved in the USA. They represent a visible link between the past and present ways of life of the Indigenous Puebloan peoples of the Southwestern USA. A World Heritage Site, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites. See some of the 600 cliff dwellings on a ranger-led tour, and enjoy amazing stargazing in this International Dark Sky Park.

Poverty Point World Heritage Site in Pioneer, Louisiana

Researchers are still unearthing the full story of Poverty Point, believed to have been a bustling center of commerce and culture that was home to nearly 5,000 inhabitants. Today, you can explore five massive, 3,400-year-old earthen mounds along scenic hiking paths. Visit the on-site museum to see artifacts excavated in Louisiana and learn what’s known about the Indigenous society that once thrived here.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in San Antonio, Texas

Built on what was once the frontier of New Spain along the San Antonio River, this World Heritage Site in Texas includes five mission complexes that showcase the history of the region, especially the merging of Spanish and native Coahuiltecan cultures. The 18th-century missions are architecturally and archeologically significant, encompassing not just ornate churches but also farmland, homes, granaries and workshops. Join a ranger-led interpretive program at the largest one, Mission San José.

Taos Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico

This settlement, set in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande River in Taos, represents the cultures of the Indigenous Pueblo people of Arizona and New Mexico. This community of multistoried adobe dwellings and ceremonial buildings has been continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years. Explore this World Heritage Site on a tour led by the Red Willow People, members of the Pueblo’s community.

Chinatown in San Francisco, California

San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhood is the largest outside Asia and the oldest in the USA. Enter through the iconic Dragon Gate and wander streets lined with pagoda-style buildings and ornate lamp posts. Institutions including the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum and the Chinese Culture Center’s Visual Arts Center display the art and culture of the Chinese American community, while local eateries (including some with Michelin stars or James Beard Awards) serve traditional fare with California flair.

Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts

The USA’s colonial history is on display at this living history center, complete with preserved buildings and costumed guides. Learn more about the heritage of the Indigenous Wampanoag people at the Historic Patuxet Homesite, tour the Plimoth Grist Mill and see live crafting demonstrations. Don’t miss an opportunity to sail aboard the Mayflower II, a reproduction of the ship that carried the settlers now known as Pilgrims to the Americas.